一年一度的父亲节即将来临，每年的这个时候，互联网上有关父亲节的来历、父亲节的祝福、父亲节的歌曲、甚至是父亲节的笑话霎时间铺天盖地，有点让人应接不暇。2006年6月18日，LT试着来点小小新意，暂把大家的目光引向远又不远、奇异有趣的动物世界，看看这么一群特别的“动物爸爸”如何担当哺育、照顾后代的重任。呵呵，既能巧学“动物词汇”，又能增加科普常识，何乐而不为呢！来吧，精彩图片等您赏阅！
Most animals never see their parents! Some insects, fish, amphibians and reptiles hatch from fertilized eggs and face life completely alone. But we found some unusual animal dads.
 Penguin（皇企鹅）: A father Emperor penguin withstands the Antarctic cold for 60 days or more to protect his eggs, which he keeps on his feet, covered with a feathered flap. During this entire time he doesn't eat a thing. Most father penguins lose about 25 pounds while they wait for their babies to hatch. Afterward, they feed the chicks a special liquid from their throats. When the mother penguins return to care for the young, the fathers go to sea to eat and rest.

皇企鹅是唯一在南极大陆沿岸过冬的鸟类，并在冬季繁殖。雄性皇企鹅为了呵护雌企鹅产下的卵，会在随后的两个月或更长时间内不吃不喝，全心尽力用自己的身体给后代取暖。孵卵时，雄企鹅将卵放在两脚的蹼上并用肚皮盖住，在这其间，雄企鹅的体重将减轻11公斤。

  Monkey（绒猴）: Marmosets are tiny South American monkeys. The fathers take care of their babies from birth. When the marmoset is born, the father cleans it, then carries it to the mother only when it needs to be nursed. When the baby can eat solid food, the father will feed it.
在“绒猴”家族里，雄绒猴充当着“贤夫良父”的角色。雌绒猴生下子女后，只在喂奶时抱上它们一小会儿，照料孩子的工作全落在雄绒猴身上。雄绒猴会为小绒猴清洗身体，等到小绒猴不再吃奶时，它还会亲自喂小家伙们进食。

  Sandgrouse（沙鸡）: A father Namaqua sand grouse of Africa's Kalahari Desert flies as far as 50 miles a day in order to soak himself in water and return to his nest, where his chicks can drink from his feathers!

在非洲卡拉哈里沙漠，由于雨量稀少，所有的动物自出生就要面临干燥的无情考验。由于纳马夸公沙鸡胸部的羽毛吸水性非常强，为孩子寻水的责任就自然而然落到了它们“胸”上——公沙鸡每天都会到湖边把羽毛在水里浸湿后再飞回家，以此满足小沙鸡对水的渴求。

  Frog（达尔文蛙）: The male Darwin frog hatches his eggs in a pouch in his mouth. He can eat and continue about his business until his tadpoles lose their tails, become tiny frogs, and jump out of his mouth!

达尔文蛙见于南美洲大部分地区，它们抚育幼蛙的方式与众不同。达尔文雌蛙产下卵后，雄蛙用舌头把卵卷起咽到声囊里，之后雄性达尔文蛙则继续进食。当蝌蚪长到没有尾巴时，雄蛙便张开嘴，让蝌蚪们跳出去。

  Sea horse（海马）: The male sea horse has a pouch in which the mother lays her eggs. The father then looks after the eggs for about two months, until they hatch and leave the pouch. He continues to protect the young until they are able to live on their own.

相信吗？雄海马可是有孕育子女的能力哦！雄海马腹部有一个小袋，据说可用来装小海马2000只。当雄海马和雌海马交配的时候，雌海马的卵子会巧妙地掉到雄海马的育儿袋里，这些卵子在海马爸爸的腹袋里经过数周后，便会孵化成小海马。

  Rhea（美洲鸵）： Rheas are large South American birds similar to ostriches . Father rhea takes sole care of his young. From eggs to chicks, he feeds, defends, and protects them until they are old enough to survive on their own.

要论忠诚，美洲鸵肯定不是，因为它们没有固定的配偶。正因如此，雄鸟要独自承担起孵卵、喂食、照顾和保护后代的责任。

  Catfish（鲶鱼）： A father sea catfish keeps the eggs of his young in his mouth until they are ready to hatch. He will not eat until his young are born, which may take several weeks.

鲶鱼大家都熟悉吧？和达尔文蛙相似，雄性鲶鱼也是把雌鲶鱼产的卵含在嘴里，以此孵出小鲶鱼。不同的是，雄鲶鱼在这段时期不能进食。

  Cockroach（蟑螂）： A father cockroach eats bird droppings （鸟粪） to obtain precious nitrogen, which he carries back to feed his young.

不知道尽守父职的雄蟑螂，能否给名声扫地的蟑螂家族挣来一点点声誉？雄蟑螂为了哺育嗷嗷待哺的后代，会吃下鸟粪，仅为了给小蟑螂提取氮这一营养物质。

 
 
 
 
 
Vocabulary: 
 

amphibian: 两栖动物

reptile: 爬行动物

Emperor penguin: 皇企鹅，南极地区一种巨大的企鹅，颈部有桔黄色块

chick: 即将孵出或刚孵出的小鸟，尤指小鸡，文中指刚出生的皇企鹅

Marmoset: 在南美洲亚马逊河流域，生长着世界上最小的猴子——绒猴。绒猴非常罕见，毛如厚绒，平均体重只有250克，体长如人的中指般大，被戏称为“拇指猴”。

pouch: 小袋子，文中指“达尔文蛙的声囊”

tadpole: 蝌蚪

Rhea: 美洲鸵，外形与鸵鸟非常相似，但每只脚有三个脚趾，又被称作“三趾鸵鸟”。

ostrich: 鸵鸟

Rhea: 瑞亚，希腊神话中Zeus（宙斯）的母亲

bird droping: 鸟粪

nitrogen: 氮